Because of the date, Christchurch-based riders, who make up a vital number of the available jockeys at southern meetings, will have time spent with their families replaced by hours of car travel.
The situation is made worse by the fact it is just before the busiest time of year for the riders.
Just two days after the meeting, the Otago Racing Club will hold its Boxing Day meeting, for which the Christchurch-based jockeys will again hit the road.
''I think it's absolutely ridiculous considering 99% of the jockeys are in Christchurch,'' senior South Island rider Kylie Williams said.
''They expect us to go there the day before Christmas when a lot of us have families and then the day after Christmas we are back down there for Dunedin.
''It is silly for trainers as well; they will be flat getting horses there when you have racing on Boxing Day with good [prize] money.''
The scheduling means Williams is unlikely to be riding at the meeting.
''I would not be going to Gore on the 24th unless I knew there was some super horse going down there that I did not want anyone else to ride.''
Samantha Wynne also signalled she would be unable to ride at the meeting because of its timing.
The New Zealand Jockeys' Association's South Island representative, Terry Moseley, said South Island racing was again being given a raw deal.
''We have already lost 10 or 12 race days down here and we are still given the worst days in the calendar they can possibly give us.''
The Tapanui meeting has been staged on dates between the 18th and 23rd of December over the past decade.
''From all accounts it is going to be a one-off thing, but it is not ideal,'' Moseley said.
The Tapanui Racing Club had recently raced on the Sunday before Christmas, which had been a good date for the club, president Barry Blatch said.
This year's meeting falling on Christmas Eve was unfortunate, but the club had applied to have the meeting brought forward to counter that.
The first race is scheduled for 11am and it was hoped the raceday would be over by 3pm, Blatch said.
The final say on New Zealand's racing dates is had by the New Zealand Racing Board after consultations with the racing codes and their clubs.
